1988-10-03 adjOctober 3, 1988 (Adjourned Meeting)
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577
An adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County,
Virginia, was held on October 3, 1988, at 8:00 A.M., Rooms 5/6, County Office
Building, Charlottesville, Virginia, this meeting being adjourned from Septem-
ber 21, 1988.
PRESENT: Messrs. Edward H. Bain, Jr., F. R. Bowie, C. Timothy Lindstrom,
Walter F. Perkins and Peter T. Way.
ABSENT: Mrs. Patricia H. Cooke.
OFFICERS PRESENT: County Executive, Guy B. Agnor, Jr., and County
Attorney, George R. St. John.
Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 8:05 A.M. by the
Chairman, Mr. Way. This meeting was a joint meeting with the School Board.
Members of the School Board present were: Messrs. Charles S. Armstrong,
William W. Finley, Clifford W. Haury, Forrest R. Marshall, Charles S. Martin,
Charles R. Tolbert and Mrs. Sharon Wood (arrived at 8:13 A.M.).
Agenda Item No. 2. Summary of School Openings, Mr. Andy Overstreet,
Superintendent of Schools, handed out a sheet of statistics summarizing
enrollment by grade, and by school. He said there were 9,429 students on the
tenth day, 37 more than estimated. There was no change in enrollment pat-
terns. The enrollment at Meriwether Lewis was up more than expected.
Agenda Item No. 3. Crozet Elementary Replacement School, discussion of
plans for.
Mr. Bob Moje, of the firm of Vickery Moje Drinkard Oakland, Architects,
was present. He made a verbal and pictoriallpresentation of the plans for the
new school. He described the site and explained how the building had been
designed to fit the site with the least amount of grading work.
Mr. Lindstrom inquired about the general configuration of the building
and asked if it would not be more economical ~to build without the classroom
wing curvature and the courtyard between the 'two building segments. Mr. Moje
responded by describing heating, cooling, ventilating requirements and state
requirements necessitating the need to use oBtside light and ventilation in
the various rooms. He noted that the buildihg had been designed so that it
can be expanded in the future.
Mr. Way asked if spaces such as the library may be expanded to accommo-
date a library for a larger school. Mr. Moje~i said the library is generously
sized. Also the building has been designed s6 that the different parts -
gymnasium, administrative/classrooms, cafeter~ia/stage- can be used separately
at night for school or community functions.
Mr. Lindstrom questioned the circular st~pe of the library and the need
for the conical roof on that section. Mr. Moje said the library ceiling is
four feet higher than in other portions. It is a large space and a proper
amount of volume is needed for a feeling of comfort in the room. Mr.
Lindstrom said the roof, to him, looks imperial. Mr. Bowie said neither Stone
Robinson nor Stony Point elementary schools have a higher ceiling in the
library areas. This will be the only school .in the county with a raised roof.
Mr. Moje said the library is planned to be us&d for many uses because there
are no other spaces in the building which arei large enough to accommodate a
large group.
Mr. Lindstrom asked about the schedule for this building project. Mr.
Moje said the project was to have started a y~ar earlier. The schedule has
been moved to start in the Spring of 1989, bef..under construction for a year,
and open in the Fall of 1990. The preliminar~ plans have been approved by the
State.
Mr. Lindstrom asked if the School Board %as looked at alternative designs
and costs of same. Mr. Tolbert said the SchoOl Board has not, but the commit-
tee looked at others. Actually, until the deJign of the building gets to this
point, it is hard to come up with a cost estimate. An independent estimate of
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October 3, 1988 (Adjourned Meeting)
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the cost could be obtained at this time, but there would be a cost attached to
that. Mr. Moje was asked if the curvature of the back of the building was
much more costly to build than a rectangular shape, and Mr. Moje said he felt
it would be as cheap to build that way.
Mr. Finley asked if the building were not built in the proposed shape if
it would leave more room on the site for future expansion. Mr. Moje said
there are other designs, but they feel this is the best design for the site.
He had expected the budget to be an issue, but when they design a building,
they do what is felt to be the best building for the program in that building.
They try to design the most economical building for the 40 or 50 years of use,
and it may not be the most economical on the day of the bid opening. Mr. Moje
described some changes that could be made in the building, and Mr. Bowie said
they were "theatrical" cuts, not items which are meaningful.
Mr. Perkins said that all those present could argue about the design, but
none really know if there are any costs savings which can be realized. He
suggested that the bidding be on the design shown, and on a design with an
elimination of the inner circle.
Mr. Lindstrom said he would be curious to know the cost of a building
with a "conventional" design. Costs from some locality where the people are
not so oriented to the more modern designs. Also, if limitations on this site
are driving the cost up, that is an item that should be t~ken into considera-
tion on future projects. ~
Mr. Perkins said this meeting should have been held Six months ago. He
feels this project is too far along to do anything now since a change would
most likely delay the project a year. ~
Mr. Bowie said he has a problem with the roof, and i~ is money that does
not have to be spent. He feels there are places where mo~ey can be saved
without hurting the school facility at all.
Mr. Tolbert said if some people are interested in se~ing a library
designed as a square and with a flat roof, he thinks the School Board can
obtain a price on such a design. However, he thinks that if the library space
has been designed with a pitched roof, there would have been no question about
the ceiling height. ~
Mr. Lindstrom said the question always comes down to ~one of "we should
have met six months ago". This process dictates that the design of the
architect be taken. This is based on a design that can't ~be compared to
another facility, and it is happening everywhere, not jus~ in Albemarle
County. He feels there must be some conventional design ~hat meets all state
codes, and he would like to know the cost of such a desig~~. He thinks the
people in the community who pay for the building will wonder how much extra
the design cost. He thinks it would be appropriate, befo~ any more buildings
are built, to find out what a basic building costs. Mr. Marshall said the
School Board must answer to the public, so the committee and staff members all
must have input, He does not think they can do anything better than they are
doing now. Mr. Overstreet said the process can be lengthened.
Mr. Lindstrom suggested that plans for the new southern regional school
be more conventional. Mr. Overstreet said this conversation points out that
the site may need to be chosen using additional criteria. !Design of the
building has not been used in the selection of a site. Mr~.~ Marshall said the
School Board already knows what position it will be in enrollment wise if the
school does not open in 1990.
Mr. Bowie said he would like to know what a basic, regtangular school
which will hold 600 pupils can be built for, and that shoutd be known before
site selection. Mr. Tolbert said a professional estimator'!could be hired, at
a price, to come up with a cost. If the architects are just told to come up
with a plain and simple building, it may be too plain and S!imple. He asked if
the Board is concerned with site selection, or the cost pe~ square foot. Mr.
Lindstrom said it is the total cost of the building. He s~id that Mr. Moje
said that because of State requirements, this design makes '~Sense, but Mr.
Lindstrom does not have anything to compare this design witih when comparing it
to other school buildings being built in the State of Virginia today.
October 3, 1988 (Adjourned Meeting)
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579
Mr. Way said the School Board could see if there might be a significant
cost difference by lowering the ceiling height in the library, and the other
things that had been mentioned. Mr. Overstreet said the architects can be
asked to evaluate the changes suggested and what the cost savings might be.
If a report is ready in less than a month he will have it distributed, or have
it presented at the next joint meeting.
Agenda Item No. 3. Executive Session: Personnel. At 9:18 A.M., Mr. Way
asked for a motion to adjoin into executive session with the School Board to
discuss personnel matters and property acquisition. Such a motion was offered
by Mr. Bowie and seconded by Mr. Bain. There was no discussion. Roll was
called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSENT:
Messrs. Bain, Bowie, Lindstrom, Perkins and Way.
None.
Mrs. Cooke.
A similar motion was offered and approved by the School Board.
The Board reconvened into open session at 10:00 A.M. It was noted that
the next joint meeting will be held on October 24, 1988.
Agenda Item No. 4. Adjourn. With no further business to come before the
Board at this time, the meeting was adjourned.
i - - Chapman
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